Once again, Manchester United seem to be the protagonists of the summer transfer window, though this year business has stalled at Old Trafford.
New manager Erik ten Hag has been able to welcome just three players through the Old Trafford doors to this point – Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.
The pressure is on United higher ups to deliver before the window slams shut at the start of September. Here’s the latest on their hopes of bringing in fresh faces.
Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Sean Walsh bring you Talking Transfers, discussing Man Utd’s transfer market implosion in targeting deals for Adrien Rabiot & Marko Arnautovic, Man City’s stance on selling Bernardo Silva to Barcelona, Wilfried Zaha’s future and more. Available on all audio platforms and the 90min YouTube channel.
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We’ll start with a deal that’s seemed like it’s been going nowhere for weeks.
90min understands that the situation with Frenkie de Jong remains unchanged. United agreed a deal worth €85m with Barcelona last month, but the Dutchman wanted to be paid around €20m in deferred wages before considering an exit from Camp Nou.
Chelsea remain interested in De Jong too, though they haven’t been pushing too hard for a deal in recent days.
Reports in Spain suggest that the midfielder has told Barça teammates that he would consider a move to Old Trafford, while noises out of the Netherlands reiterate that Ten Hag wouldn’t have led United down this path if he didn’t have assurances that De Jong would be open to a deal.
John Murtough, United’s football director, met with Adrien Rabiot’s agent and mother, Veronique, in Turin on Friday.
While the two parties have not yet agreed to a deal, 90min understands United remain confident that a transfer could be concluded next week.
The Red Devils have already agreed a fee of roughly £15m with Juventus for the French midfielder.
United have been offered the chance to sign Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, 90min understands.
The Austrian striker, who stands at 6’7″, scored six goals in 15 games last season in a campaign blighted by injuries. He is on United’s shortlist of forwards, though they have not entered talks with the Bundesliga side yet despite being offered Kalajdzic by intermediaries.
Various European clubs have been linked with Kalajdzic this summer, though his national team manager Ralf Rangnick – who was in interim charge of United last season – has advised him to stay at Stuttgart.
“It is important that Sasa stays injury-free this season and trains and plays at the highest possible level. If he stays in Stuttgart this season, it will not be a disadvantage for his development,” Rangnick said.